F1, first Japanese smile for Charles Leclerc

F1, first Japanese smile for Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc set the 11th fastest time in the second free practice session valid for the Japanese Grand Prix. “Overall, it was a positive day in terms of performance. The first free practice session went well and I felt comfortable in the car, while the second was unremarkable because my tires were very worn,” he said at the end of the test.

“The weather for tomorrow is expected to be completely different than today so the third free practice session will be particularly important to adapt the car as quickly as possible to dry conditions and be ready for qualifying.”

Also satisfied was Carlos Sainz: “It was a very wet Friday, and that usually means not running as much. Today, however, the track conditions remained pretty stable and so I was able to try both Intermediate and Wet tires. In doing so we were able to take home more than one useful indication in the wet so I would call today a productive day. But now it’s time to start preparing for tomorrow’s qualifying.”